Emergency Net Operations
****First - Take care of your family and property.****
**Have a plan if things turn bad - know what you'll need at home and if you deploy to a shelter/other location (ARES manual/checklists on ARRL home page links).**
1. Discussion covers local 2m nets only.
2. Net purpose - Red Cross Support.
3. How formal do we need the net? Depends on how busy. Remember news scanners.
4. Net Details:
a. When to activate and how (147.015, 146.94, or simplex freq).
b. Which Freqency? Simplex primary/backup freqs, repeater if available.
- 146.535is local simplex freq (no tone).
- Just have a plan with backup that everybody knows.
- Can use backup freq for logistics or other discussions.
- Liaison station between the 2 freqs (or just someone monitoring both).
c. Opening Preamble:
Opening: This is [call sign], net control station for the Sumter ARA Emergency Net. This is a directed emergency net. Please transmit only when requested to, unless you have emergency traffic.
Any station with emergency traffic, please call now. (Stations call in and emergency traffic is passed.)
Any station with priority traffic, please call now. (Stations call in and priority traffic is passed.)
All other stations with or without traffic, please call now. (Stations call in and any traffic is passed.)
Closing:I would like to thank all stations that checked in. This is [call sign] securing the Sumter ARA Emergency Net at [date and time] returning the [repeater or frequency] to regular use.
d. Directed net - Speak only when called by Net Control Station (NCS), unless you have emergency traffic.
e. Check in "Net Control, (callsign) ("with EMERGENCY/PRIORITY, etc.") traffic" as applicable.
f. Don't leave the net without telling Net Control.
g. Keep transmissions short, plain language ok. Move to another freq for discussions.
h. Don't relay unless NCS asks.
i. NCS keep notes as able.
j. Plan for interference, have backup plan.
k. Tactical net - can use "EOC", Red Cross Ops", "Shelter 1", etc.
- FCC ID rules still apply.
l. Know what info can/can't be passed over the air (names, etc.). (Red Cross "Clients").
- Alternate comm - Fax, phone, email, etc. if available.
m. Passing messages - short or detailed?
- ARRL form (tracking) or alternate comm (see item l.).
Some lessons learned:
1. Repeaters can fail. Start with Repeater, use Simplex if necessary. All must know plan.
2. NCS should have phone numbers for each station's location for sensitive issues.
3. NCS should know if each station is on AC or battery power.
4. NWS listens to 147.015 for wx updates in severe wx.
5. Have a backup power source immediately available.
6. Backup NCS be ready to assume duties.
7. It will get busy and be a bit confusing at first.
- Phones may be working, but overloaded.
8. Know what duties you'll be able to perform before activation (family commitments, etc.).
9. NCS can do "roll calls" to check stations' status and get any station status updates.
10. Consider ARRL Message form if high priority message (record keeping). Get signature from official if necessary.
11. ARRL Public Service Communications manual link:
12. FEMA Incident Command System online course link:
13. ARRL Forms Link (Placards, message forms, etc.):
14. ARES Field Resources link:
15. For an NTS operational example, check out the South Carolina SSB Net at
3.915 MHz LSB, 7pm Local. Good examples of Net operations, Liaison Station Operations, and Formal Message Traffic passing (using the ARRL message format).
16. Local wx - NWS; ATIS - Sumter Airport - 118.075, Shaw - 132.125 (Both AM).
17. An HT and a mobile rig with crossband repeat can work well together.
18. Simplex repeater - FCC normally doesn't allow unattended use, BUT......
NOTES: